Last night saw the sixth installment of #PitchCinemaClub, as journalists, rights holders and industry chiefs descended on Curzon Soho to attend the screening of the hotly anticipated Lance Armstrong biopic ‘The Program’.
Having previously hosted a series of sports documentaries this was Pitch’s first foray into the Hollywood market and huge thanks must go to Studio Canal, Amazon and Working Title for providing us with the opportunity to screen this film.
The legend of Lance Armstrong and his ensuing downfall is one of sport’s most controversial tales and unsurprisingly this was the prevalent topic for discussion as guests filtered in for the pre-screening reception.
The film examined the unrivalled success enjoyed by Lance Armstrong and his US Postal Service team as Armstrong won seven consecutive Tour de France titles between 1999 and 2005 and the travails of Sunday Times journalist David Walsh as he sought to expose the doping program he knew was behind this dominance.
Ben Foster was fantastic in his narcissistic portrayal of Armstrong and was ably supported by Chris O’Dowd who took on the role of David Walsh, the media pariah-cum-hero who helped uncover Armstrong as the cheat he was.
As guests filed back to the bar following the film, many lamented the story of Armstrong. The film served as a poignant reminder of the continued deception of Lance Armstrong, once revered and now reviled by media and the general public alike.
We will be announcing our next screening in due course, keep your eyes peeled!
